Henderson Cisz

Henderson Cisz is quite simply the quintessential artist of urban style. Like the cities he paints, his artworks represent a meeting place between the traditional and the contemporary, for while they are classic examples of a long established genre, their interpretation and execution places them firmly in the 21st century. Exhibiting his work all over the world, Henderson enjoys a large following of individual and corporate collectors and has received an impressive range of accolades and awards including the John Solomon Trophy and Artist of the Year in 2007. He has also been the subject of two best selling art books.

Born in Brazil in 1960 Henderson began to paint seriously in his teens. He began to gain something of a reputation locally and by the mid-1980s he decided to leave Brazil and take up painting full time. His first stop was London. Some friends advised him to try the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue painting portraits of passing tourists and such was his success that he started to spend every dry day there.

The work he produced was just too good for the makeshift portrait gallery of Shaftesbury Avenue, so Henderson decided to brave the railings of the Bayswater Road. This turned out to be a defining moment as his paintings began to sell for hundreds of pounds and he rapidly drew a following of serious collectors. 25 years later Henderson is an internationally-acclaimed, award winning artist working from a stunning riverside studio in London, the city that has become his home.

Painting in acrylic, oil or watercolour on canvas, Henderson's trademark palette utilises cool, soft tones to convey the atmosphere of his subject. "I love the effect that weather has on the urban landscape and must confess to a particular fondness for the rain! Not only does it cast interesting shadows and reflections on the slick sidewalks, but it also dictates the stance of the figures. Their slightly defensive postures and hunched shoulders lend a very specific, and to my mind curiously engaging, mood to the overall scene."